Reinhard Dietrich

Influence of tides and tidal current on Mertz Glacier, Antarctica

Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica, is characterized by a 140 km long, 25 km wide floating ice tongue. In this paper, we combine a large number of remotely sensed datasets, including in situ global positioning system measurements, satellite radar al- timetry, airborne radio-echo sounding and satellite synthetic aperture radar imagery and interferometry. These various datasets allow us to study the interaction of the ice tongue with the tides and currents. However, the inverse barometer effect needs to be applied to sea-level variations affecting the tongue. We find that the tide-induced currents exert a small lateral pressure on the tongue which, when integrated over the large surface of the tongue, induce a flexure of up to 2 m amplitude per day. Simple elastic modelling of the flexure confirms the observations and helps validate the boundary conditions necessary to explain different eastward and westward tongue deflections. In addition, the along-flow velocity of the tongue does vary daily from 1.9 to 6.8 m d � 1 depending on the tidal current.When the current pushes the tongue toward the eastern boundary of the fjord, the tongue is retarded by the drag and the velocity decreases. The accumulated stress is released, allowing the tongue to flow very rapidly when the current pushes the tongue westward. These forcing and boundary conditions on the floating ice flow are important and must be taken into account when studying glacier discharge and calving.

Validation of Precipitable Water Vapor within the NCEP/DOE Reanalysis Using Global GPS Observations from One Decade

Abstract In contrast to previous studies validating numerical weather prediction (NWP) models using observations from the global positioning system (GPS), this paper focuses on the validation of seasonal and interannual variations in the water vapor. The main advantage of the performed validation is the independence of the GPS water vapor estimates compared to studies using water vapor datasets from radiosondes or satellite microwave radiometers that are already assimilated into the NWP models. Tropospheric parameters from a GPS reanalysis carried out in a common project of the Technical Universities in Munich and Dresden were converted into precipitable water (PW) using surface pressure observations from the WMO and mean atmospheric temperature data from ECMWF. PW time series were generated for 141 globally distributed GPS sites covering the time period from the beginning of 1994 to the end of 2004. The GPS-derived PW time series were carefully examined for their homogeneity. The validation of the NWP mo...

West Antarctic ice sheet change since the Last Glacial Period

The potential for rapid deglaciation, or collapse, of the 2–million–square–kilometer West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) in response to climate change is one of the most serious environmental threats facing mankind. The WAIS is a marine ice sheet with large parts of its ice grounded below sea level. Complete collapse would result in a global sea level rise of approximately 5 meters, with immense social, economic, and ecological consequences.

Influence of the ocean loading effect on GPS derived precipitable water vapor

For meteorology the precipitable water vapor becomes a more and more important product in the data analysis of the Global Positioning System (GPS). It is derived from the wet part of the tropospheric refraction obtained as zenith path delay in the data analysis. However, the estimates of the zenith path delay and of the station height are strongly correlated. The ocean loading effect has a periodic influence on station heights with major frequencies in the diurnal and semidiurnal band and with amplitudes up to several centimeters. If one ignores this effect it affects the estimates of the zenith path delay and thus the precipitable water vapor. This will be demonstrated by some examples.

Mass, volume and velocity of the Antarctic Ice Sheet: present-day changes and error effects

This study examines present-day changes of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) by means of different data sets. We make use of monthly gravity field solutions acquired by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) to study mass changes of the AIS for a 10-year period. In addition to ‘standard’ solutions of release 05, solutions based on radial base functions were used. Both solutions reveal an increased mass loss in recent years. For a 6-year period surface-height changes were inferred from laser altimetry data provided by the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). The basin-scale volume trends were converted into mass changes and were compared with the GRACE estimates for the same period. Focussing on the Thwaites Glacier, Landsat optical imagery was utilised to determine ice-flow velocities for a period of more than two decades. This data set was extended by means of high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the TerraSAR-X mission, revealing an accelerated ice flow of all parts of the glacier. ICESat data over the Thwaites Glacier were complemented by digital elevation models inferred from TanDEM-X data. This extended data set exhibits an increased surface lowering in recent times. Passive microwave remote sensing data prove the long-term stability of the accumulation rates in a low accumulation zone in East Antarctica over several decades. Finally, we discuss the main error sources of present-day mass-balance estimates: the glacial isostatic adjustment effect for GRACE as well as the biases between laser operational periods and the volume–mass conversion for ICESat.

Variability of sea surface heights in the Baltic Sea: an intercomparison of observations and model simulations

Sea level changes in the Baltic Sea are dominated by internal, short-term variations that are mostly caused by the ephemeral nature of atmospheric conditions over the Baltic area. Tides are small and their influence decreases from western parts of the Baltic Sea to the Baltic Proper. Superimposed to the large short-term sea level changes (up to few decimeters from day to day) are seasonal and interannual variations (centimeters to decimeters). This study focuses on the comparison of sea surface heights obtained from observations and from a high resolution oceanographic model of the Baltic Sea. From this comparison, the accuracy of the modeled sea surface variations is evaluated, which is a necessary precondition for the further use of the oceanographic model in geodetic applications. The model reproduces all observed Baltic sea level variations very reliably with an accuracy of 5 to 9 cm (rms) for short-term variations (up to 2 months) and 8 cm (rms) for long-term variations (>2 months). An additional improvement of the model can be attained by including long-period sea level variations of the North Sea. The model performs well also in the case of extreme sea level events, as is shown for a major storm surge that occurred at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in November 1995.

POTENTIAL OF REFLECTED GNSS SIGNALS FOR ICE SHEET REMOTE SENSING

Earth-reflected GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals have become an attractive tool for remote sensing, e.g., ocean altimetry and scatterometric ocean wind measurements. For ice sheets, the large penetration capability and the large-scale surface averaging of the L-band signals could open a new look on firnpack characteristics like accumulation rates. In this paper we investigate theoretically reflections of GPS (Global Positioning System) signals from ice sheets. We derive a model of the reflection signal and perform simulations of airborne and spaceborne measurements. The results show that the signal, though complex, is sensitive to the roughness of the snow surface (and internal interfaces) and to firn parameters like accumulation rates. To extract valuable and concise information from the complex signal, we derive an example procedure that focusses on particular ground zones during a satellite receiver pass. The results indicate that it should be possible in principle to separately infer surface and firnpack parameters from the measurements. We conclude that GNSS reflections over ice sheets should be further persued, in particular by obtaining experimental data.

Potential of Reflected GNSS Signals for Ice Sheet Remote Sensing

Earth-reflected GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals have become an attractive tool for remote sensing, e.g., ocean altimetry and scatterometric ocean wind measurements. For ice sheets, the large penetration capability and the large-scale surface averaging of the L-band signals could open a new look on firnpack characteristics like accumulation rates. In this paper we investigate theoretically reflections of GPS (Global Positioning System) signals from ice sheets. We derive a model of the reflection signal and perform simulations of airborne and spaceborne measurements. The results show that the signal, though complex, is sensitive to the roughness of the snow surface (and internal interfaces) and to firn parameters like accumulation rates. To extract valuable and concise information from the complex signal, we derive all example procedure that focusses on particular ground zones during a satellite receiver pass. The results indicate that it should be possible in principle to separately infer surface and firnpack parameters from the measurements. We conclude that GNSS reflections over ice sheets should be further persued, in particular by obtaining experimental data.

Assessing the Current Evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet by Means of Satellite and Ground-Based Observations

The present study utilises different satellite and ground-based geodetic observations in order to assess the current evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS). Satellite gravimetry data acquired by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment are used to derive ice-mass changes for the period from 2003 to 2012. The inferred time series are investigated regarding long-term, seasonal and interannual variations. Laser altimetry data acquired by the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) are utilised to solve for linear and seasonal changes in the ice-surface height and to infer independent mass-change estimates for the entire GIS and its major drainage basins. We demonstrate that common signals can be identified in the results of both sensors. Moreover, the analysis of a Global Positioning System (GPS) campaign network in West Greenland for the period 1995–2007 allows us to derive crustal deformation caused by glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and by present-day ice-mass changes. ICESat-derived elastic crustal deformations are evaluated comparing them with GPS-observed uplift rates which were corrected for the GIA effect inferred by model predictions. Existing differences can be related to the limited resolution of ICESat. Such differences are mostly evident in dynamical regions such as the Disko Bay region including the rapidly changing Jakobshavn Isbræ, which is investigated in more detail. Glacier flow velocities are inferred from satellite imagery yielding an accelerated flow from 1999 to 2012. Since our GPS observations cover a period of more than a decade, changes in the vertical uplift rates can also be investigated. It turns out that the increased mass loss of the glacier is also reflected by an accelerated vertical uplift.

Mass Variation Signals in GRACE Products and in Crustal Deformations crustal deformation from GPS: A Comparison

Geophysical surface mass variations are reflected both in gravity field variations and in load deformations of the solid Earth . These two signatures may be observed by GRACE and by GPS , respectively. This article reports about a comparison between both. Concerning GPS-derived deformations, a meaningful geophysical interpretation requires both homogeneously processed observations and a stable realization of the terrestrial reference system. Here we use results from a reprocessing of a global GPS network with consistent use of the latest processing and modelling strategies. This reprocessing includes the estimation of low-degree deformation terms. We directly compare them to respective GRACE results and find good agreement. Our main results concern the comparison of site displacement time series obtained from GPS, on the one hand, and from GRACE gravity variations converted to load deformations, on the other hand. We do this comparison both for the GRACE background models of short-term variations and for the final monthly GRACE solutions. For vertical deformations, we find good agreement. In contrast, the agreement is poor for the horizontal directions. The differences between GPS and GRACE contain some components which appear to have large-scale correlated patterns in space and seasonal patterns in time. More detailed analyses indicate that residual errors in the GPS solutions are likely the dominant cause of these differences. Analysing internal deformations of regional subnetworks is a way to circumvent some of the large-scale systematics of the GPS solution. Indeed, regional analyses show reasonable agreement between GPS and GRACE even in the horizontal components. Overall, our results demonstrate the progress and challenges of combining independent satellite geodetic observations within the Global Geodetic Observing System.